I think I've spoken with you about which needs I have before, but I've looked through the available albumtypes and now I think the best solution would be to add some features to the Media Library presentation.

The Media Library offers by far the most flexible presentation of different media types, and the best overview. The options however are rather lacking, and a few features are (in my opinion) missing.

I would really like it, if the Library could be more oriented towards downloading contents rather than just displaying them. With a superb overview, the presentation is optimal for finding the exact media you need to download.

More specifically it would be fantastic if each item could specify multiple downloadable files - not just the actual element, but other files as well (high res tif files, downloadable pdf documents, etc.) so any element have a nice presentation AND some download options. The management already allows to attach 1 file / link and a raw file (although they're not used in most albums) so the quick update would simply add those files/raw link to the Media Library.

This way it should be possible to upload 5 images of PDF covers, and link them to the actual PDF files for download, as well as presenting 8 other images with attached high-res tif files for download. That's my primary need :)

Part 2: Multiple downloads

As you might expect, sometimes downloading images would require access to multiple sizes (highres, midres, lowres), and that's why I'm not only asking for adding download to the media library, but multiple downloads - simply displayed as small links somewhere relative to each element (on the popup or wherever makes the most sense). Since it could simply by a list of links, it could be possible to make it external too, to f.x. link a video trailer to other resources like ordering a movie ticket or linking a sound file to a shopping cart with the whole CD added. The possibilities are many :)

For presentation, my suggestion would be to add a "download" link on the popup, which will itself popup a small white box with the links displayed as a list.

As for structuring data, a separate table would be optimal. However if adding 0-many file downloads is too complex or takes too long, I would suggest simply adding 10 links (you would rarely need more than 3, but for the odd occation of need, I've never seen more than 8-9 downloads for an image - and that's with art pictures in multiple sizes used for background on multiple devices)

I hope you find these suggestions useful :) You're covering 90% of needed functionality for image / media galleries, but I would like it if we could go all the way to 100% and have no need for anything else involving media display.

Kind Regards Rune

Pengtsen RPosts:13551

05/01/2013 6:20 AM

Your suggestions will be reviewed in future major upgrades, however, the TagGrouppedGrid presentation allow you to download the image being viewed in lightbox window, does it help?

Pengtsen Rhttp://www.bizmodules.net

Rune BentsenPosts:35

05/01/2013 6:30 AM

Hi Pengtsen

I'm pleased that you will look at adding it to a future upgrade.

And yes I know TagGrouppedGrid does allow downloads, it's just not styled correctly, and that results in a bunch of extra work, but I guess it could work. It still doesn't allow for multiple downloads which is the secondary need I have :)

Kind Regards Rune

Pengtsen RPosts:13551

05/01/2013 6:33 AM

Multiple downloads will be a big change, I'll add this option if it become popular.